Automobile Accidents: The Deadly Problem of Road Debris

USA Today recently reported some alarming findings from a study on road debris. Between 2011 and 2014, debris left on roads in the U.S. led to over 200,000 crashes, tens of thousands of injuries, and hundreds of fatalities.

Typically, people don’t think of road debris as a major factor in automobile accidents. But consider some of the following scenarios:

• A car slams into a fallen tree branch.
• A driver swerves to avoid a package or a piece of furniture lying out on the road. The driver winds up colliding with another vehicle or running off the road and striking a building, fence, lamppost, power line or tree.
• Tires sustain serious damage when a vehicle runs over discarded nails or shards of glass. As a result, the driver experiences greater difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle.

Have you suffered a vehicular accident involving road debris?

If you have, there are a number of points to investigate, including the following:

• How did the debris get on the road? Was anyone responsible for leaving it there?
• Should someone have cleared it away prior to the time of the accident?
• What other factors, such as driver behavior and weather conditions, contributed to the crash? (For example, along with the role that the debris played in the collision, a driver may have been speeding or violating other traffic laws.)

Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss these important issues. After an accident, you may be struggling with medical problems, psychological trauma, staggering expenses, loss of wages, and other serious difficulties. As we fight for you to receive fair compensation, we can help you handle insurance companies and determine what caused an accident and who is liable.